Week 25
Where is it all going?
If I had any doubt about grass cutting, I only have to look at my land right now. The short areas are parched, after several weeks of drought, while the long grass remains green. Green grass contains chlorophyll, which uses photosynthesis to gobble carbon dioxide and release oxygen, although grass is not as efficient as a tree. Cutting grass reduces the area available for photosynthesis and, for reasons I cannot explain, my land suggests that long grass holds water better than if the grass is short. For the moment my grass will stay long.
The weather forecast is typical of climate change. After this drought, there is now rain around the corner, not just a few drops but a deluge, with flash floods a risk. The craziness of modern climate doubtless can be explained by some, but not easily by me. Basically, one must be prepared for anything.
My yellow rattle[i],[ii] is about to disperse its seed. The pale brown seedheads have now split and the seeds will scatter any moment, although how successful they will be is another matter. Yellow rattle seeds need to land on soil, but I have such dense vegetation that I worry my yellow rattle may not easily spread. The seeds are also very short-lived (12-18 months) and need to reach bare earth as soon as possible, so I cannot escape cutting my grass later in the year, however good long grass may be right now. In addition, when I look at the wildlife, birds especially, they take shelter from the sun in the long grass and enjoy the shadow that tall foliage provides.
For the last few weeks my land has been a sea of yellow buttercups[iii],[iv], although these are now slowly in decline, as another tranche of yellow takes hold. This time it is bird’s-foot-trefoil[v], a flower I cannot forget, as another name for it is “Granny’s toenails”. The flower provides plenty of nectar for bees and other pollinators[vi]and has a raft of medicinal uses for the control of fever, low blood sugar, as well as being an antispasmodic, a sedative and a cardiotonic. All parts of the plant happen also to be toxic[vii], as they contain hydrogen cyanide, so it is important to go carefully with Granny’s toenails.
Meanwhile, my oxeye daisies[viii] seem to be massing for a revolution. I thought there were plenty a few weeks ago, but they keep on multiplying. They are everywhere I look, and in one part of my land are standing shoulder to shoulder, still becoming taller, without any sign of slowing down.
I wish I could speak to spiders, if only to reassure them that I mean no harm. Yet this morning, as I saw one struggle at the bottom of my kitchen sink, slipping this way and that, I could see the arachnid thought I was set on murder. Spiders are not insects, however they may seem, and belong to the Class Arachnida, not Insecta[ix]. Eventually I rescued it, and watched it scuttle away on the floor, to a remote crack under the skirting board. I have no idea what it thought, but it was manifestly frightened. Yet spiders are important. Without the little things, the big things would not exist. Spiders happen to be essential for the ecosystem and are endemic to every continent except Antarctica. They eat plenty of insects, mostly those smaller than themselves, their primary role being one of controlling the insect population. They also kill other spiders, thereby keeping their own numbers in check[x]. One spider can eat as many as 2000 insects each year, and that includes agricultural pests that thrive on human food[xi].
A little thing upset me this week, a butterfly, which is an insect. I was certain it was a black-veined white[xii]and I became unreasonably excited. Although the black-veined white has long been extinct in the United Kingdom, it is common on mainland Europe, but was recently seen in London[xiii]. One theory was that it had been intentionally released, rather than making it across the English Channel. To see one on my land, and in the north of England, would have been astonishing. I asked Peter, the entomologist, who instantly dashed my hopes. No longer would I have fame and fortune. “Black-veined?” he queried. “No chance. That is a green-veined white[xiv].” He was right, so it is back to the butterfly drawing board on my land. There are certainly plenty of different colours flitting this way and that.
As I idly flick through the various environmental magazines, including Country Life, it appears that to have a garden for wildlife can increase the worth of house. Bee-friendly flowers and favouring the environment can add up to 20% to a house’s value[xv], so my renaturing must clearly keep going. Rewilding is also winning prizes[xvi] and awards[xvii] although plenty still claim that rewilding is nonsense[xviii]. Gardening, maintaining land, call it what one will, is not always relaxing. A typical homeowner will spend 168 minutes each week in their garden, as gardening becomes of steadily increasing interest to more people[xix]. I spend far more than 168 minutes on my land, three days weekly at least. Even then I can barely keep pace. Yet despite the doubters, the trend seems clear, especially now that rewilding and renaturing can add value. Returning gardens to nature is going in only one direction[xx].
When on my land, I have plenty of time to think and often wonder where it is all going. Each time I turn on the radio or television, I hear how Artificial Intelligence (AI) is going to destroy the world and how nobody’s employment is safe. I feel differently. I sense that AI is already helping me renature, and what I see today is only the beginning. How about GPS collars[xxi] that track the location and behaviour of certain animals, drones that work ten times faster than planting trees by hand[xxii], virtual rangers[xxiii], and techniques for identifying the DNA in soil and water[xxiv] so that an area’s biodiversity can be properly understood? Each of these creations, and they already exist, demonstrates the inexorable rise in renaturing[xxv]. Much of what I am now doing will one day be automated and doubtless technology will push me to one side in the end. That is on the assumption that the carbon footprint of the technology is considered. Deep learning has a terrible carbon footprint[xxvi] with The Cloud having a larger footprint than the entire airline industry while a single data centre can consume the same amount of electricity as 50,000 homes[xxvii]. The ten largest providers and operators of data centres in the world operate more than 1250 facilities globally[xxviii]. That is a lot of carbon.
There are huge issues ahead and I am just at the beginning.
***
Acknowledgement
Take it from me - none of this would be possible without the help of RSG Horticulture. Rufus, who runs it, has far more energy than me and is full of ideas and skills. Do contact him through https://www.rsghorticulture.com.
References [i] Yellow rattle. https://meadows.plantlife.org.uk/making-meadows/yellow-rattle/. Accessed 18 June 2023. [ii] See entries for weeks 22 & 23. [iii] Ranunculus spp. A large genus of more than 1800 species. Origin of name is from Late Latin for “little frog”. The common name of “buttercup” may derive from a false belief that the plants give butter its characteristic yellow hue (in fact it is poisonous to cows and other livestock). A popular children's game involves holding a buttercup up to the chin; a yellow reflection is supposed to indicate a fondness for butter. In ancient Rome, a species of buttercup was held to the skin by slaves attempting to remove forehead tattoos made by their owners. All are poisonous when eaten fresh. See https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ranunculus. Accessed 18 June 2023. [iv] Buttercup – uses, side effects, and more. Despite safety concerns, buttercup is used for arthritis, nerve pain, skin problems, and swelling (inflammation) of the main airways in the lung (bronchitis), but there is no good scientific evidence to support these uses. See https://www.webmd.com/vitamins/ai/ingredientmono-656/buttercup#. Accessed 18 June 2023. [v] Common bird’s-foot-trefoil (Lotus corniculatus). Also known as Granny’s toenails, eggs and bacon, butter and eggs, or hen and chickens. Important food plant for caterpillars of the common blue and wood white butterflies, both classified as Priority Species. See https://www.wildlifetrusts.org/wildlife-explorer/wildflowers/common-birds-foot-trefoil. Accessed 18 June 2023. [vi] Birds-foot Trefoil. See https://diversegardens.co.uk/wildflowers/wildflower-gallery/birds-foot-trefoil/#:~:text=Uses%20for%20bird%27s%2Dfoot%20trefoil,-In%20agriculture%20bird%27s&text=It%20has%20the%20added%20advantage,%2C%20depression%2C%20nervousness%20and%20anxiety. Accessed 18 June 2023. [vii] Bird’s Foot Trefoil. See http://www.naturalmedicinalherbs.net/herbs/l/lotus-corniculatus=bird%27s-foot-trefoil.php#:~:text=Medicinal%20use%20of%20Bird%27s%20Foot%20Trefoil%3A&text=The%20flowers%20are%20antispasmodic%2C%20cardiotonic,all%20cases%20of%20skin%20inflammation. Accessed 18 June 2023 [viii] See entries of weeks 22 and 23. [ix] Myth: Spiders are insects. See https://www.burkemuseum.org/collections-and-research/biology/arachnology-and-entomology/spider-myths/myth-spiders-are-insects. Accessed 11 June 2023. [x] DeMarino N. The importance of spiders to an ecosystem. See https://animals.mom.com/importance-spiders-ecosystem-6242.html. Accessed 18 June 2023. [xi] Wilgers D. Investigating community food webs: the ecological importance of spiders. See https://www.sciencefriday.com/educational-resources/investigating-community-food-webs-ecological-importance-spiders/. Accessed 18 June 2023. [xii] Aporia crategi. Extinct from the UK. The Black-veined White was first listed as a British species in 1667 but this large butterfly became extinct in the British Isles around 1925 with its last remaining stronghold in the south-east of England. It was always considered a rarity in the British Isles but on the continent, it is often very common. See https://butterfly-conservation.org/butterflies/black-veined-white. Accessed 11 June 2023. [xiii] Stacey K. 'Extinct' Black-Veined White Butterflies Thought To Have Been Gone For Almost a Century Reappear in London. See https://www.sciencetimes.com/articles/44139/20230605/extinct-black-veined-white-butterflies-thought-gone-century-reappear-london.htm. Accessed 11 June 2023. [xiv] Pieris napi. The green-veined white is a small, white butterfly that is on the wing between April and October. A common butterfly, it is found in a wide variety of habitats, including hedgerows, woodland rides and meadows, as well as farmland, gardens and parks. It especially likes damp areas with lush vegetation. Watercress is a very common host plant for the butterfly. The foodplants of the caterpillars are members of the cabbage family, including cuckooflower and hedge mustard. See https://www.wildlifetrusts.org/wildlife-explorer/invertebrates/butterflies/green-veined-white. Accessed 11 June 2023. [xv] Patrone A. ‘Important’ garden trend that could add £27,0000 to property value - ‘sells house quickly’. https://www.express.co.uk/life-style/property/1628296/property-tips-hacks-garden-trend-to-add-house-value-wildlife-garden-design. Accessed 11 June 2023. [xvi] Hilton L. Rewilding garden wins top prize at Chelsea Flower Show. See https://www.inyourarea.co.uk/news/rewilding-garden-wins-top-prize-at-chelsea-flower-show/. Accessed 11 June 2023. [xvii] See https://www.rewildingbritain.org.uk/the-rewilding-network/rewilding-innovation-fund. Accessed 11 June 2023. [xviii] Quest-Ritson C. ‘Our beautiful lawns are the envy of the world… and the idea of rewilding your garden is nonsense’. See https://www.countrylife.co.uk/gardens/why-rewilding-your-garden-makes-no-sense-232531. Accessed 11 June 2023. [xix] Laroche F. House prices: Good-looking gardens may increase value, poll suggests. See https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/house-prices-garden-polls-b2086826.html. Accessed 11 June 2023. [xx] Garden trends for 2022: Recycle, re-use and rewild. See https://www.heraldscotland.com/news/19811784.garden-trends-2022-recycle-re-use-rewild/. Accessed 11 June 2023. [xxi] New technology could be a rewilding game changer. See https://rewildingeurope.com/blog/new-technology-could-be-a-rewilding-game-changer/. Accessed 11 June 2023. [xxii] The next big thing for biodiversity? Drones. See https://www.maddyness.com/uk/2021/02/19/the-next-big-thing-for-biodiversity-drones/. Accepted 11 June 2023. [xxiii] Matshoba A, Heiberg T. 'Virtual rangers' help South African reserve keep poachers away. See https://www.reuters.com/article/us-safrica-wildlife-virtual-ranger-idUSKBN2BL1CW. Accessed 11 June 2023. [xxiv] See https://www.naturemetrics.co.uk/sectors/conservation-groups/. Accessed 11 June 2023. [xxv] Join The Dots: The rise of rewilding tech. See https://www.maddyness.com/uk/2022/03/15/join-the-dots-the-rise-of-rewilding-tech/. Accessed 11 June 2023. [xxvi] Hao K. Training a single AI model can emit as much carbon as five cars in their lifetimes. See https://www.technologyreview.com/2019/06/06/239031/training-a-single-ai-model-can-emit-as-much-carbon-as-five-cars-in-their-lifetimes/. Accessed 11 June 2023. [xxvii] Marr B. Green Intelligence: why data and AI must become more sustainable. See https://www.forbes.com/sites/bernardmarr/2023/03/22/green-intelligence-why-data-and-ai-must-become-more-sustainable/?sh=46759d8d7658. Accessed 11 June 2023. [xxviii] Zhang M. Top 250 data center companies in the world as of 2023. See https://dgtlinfra.com/top-data-center-companies/#:~:text=In%20total%2C%20the%2010%20largest,1%2C250%20facilities%20around%20the%20world. Accessed 18 June 2023.
Comments